An old Chinese tale goes that a scholar traveling to a foreign country has not eaten for days, and is dying of hunger. He comes across a gang in the boondocks, and one of the guys feeds him a bowl of rice. Then he finds out that they are bandits. "I'd rather die than eat…
On March 1, 2007, the tiny nation of Molossia became the first to ban incandescent bulbs, beating out even those forward-thinking Californians and Brits, the internationally recognized champions of future (and sometimes failed) causes.
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System has named the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, in Stone Mountain, Georgia, as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Marriott (MAR – $33.26) is making small steps in the right direction. Energy star, Audobon, and LEED certified Marriott hotels are emerging throughout the country. We have yet to see a unified approach…
Photo:Curtis Palmer, Creative Commons, Flickr Finally getting that new phone or laptop you’ve wanted all year? Where is the old one going? Probably to China, India or Thailand where environmental laws are lax.
Photo:Arbele Egger, Creative Commons, Flickr If you're interested in China and the environment, like me, you have been reading The New York Times' Chocking on Growth series. It is an excellent set of articles on all of the major environmental problems the Chinese people and government are facing in the coming years and decades. It…
The LA Times has spent significant energy (at least, in comparison to other journalistic outfits) on discussing foundations and the way in which they invest their endowments. In January, they ran a report on the Gates Foundation, discussing how the foundation's grant programs and investing often act in contradictory manners that set off a firestorm…
Blogs have become old hat. They have gone beyond mainstream. And yet, I am still amazed at the number of corporations that have them, often with higher-ups writing posts. Is this what transparency and corporate governance has come to?
Photo:Debs_uk, Creative Commons, Flickr Happy Holidays!
Following a turbulent week with regard to foreign policy, President Bush has temporarily removed Iran from the Axis of Evil. For the time being, Bush announced that subprime mortgages would be joining the Axis of Evil on a trial basis.
China's stock market pattern is beginning to remind me of Japan's "irrational exuberance," as witnessed in the early nineties where a decade of fantastic growth was followed by a decade of flat to lower stock prices. I struggle many times with why investment dollars flow to a country with serious human rights issues and a government that borders on…
Lawmakers will be doing their x-mas shopping last minute this year as they scramble to tie up all the year's legislative loose ends in three weeks. Top of the list are '08s spending bills, which Dems look like they'll bundle into a massive omnibus bill (leaving out the already passed Defense bill). Given the president's…
The Holiday season looks like it might be rough for retailers, given that the average American family will probably be spending a week's paycheck just on gas to get to Wal-Mart. So what will Santa Claus be busy lugging on his carbon emission-free sled? One of the CNET editor's top holiday gift picks, the Nintendo…
As the calls for ending the war become louder, I can't help but think what the consequences could be for some of America's largest defense contractors. As much as I don't want to see any potential cutbacks in defense spending put our troops at a disadvantage, it seems abundantly clear that some big cutbacks are…
Photo:dbaron, Creative Commons, Flickr The House gets to one of the many mortgage bills sifting through Congress – all part of an effort to respond to the nation's still jittery credit market. HR 3915 would set new lending standards for mortgage brokers and backers, requiring – for one – that brokers make sure families can…
In July, I wrote about the sudden emergence of media stories discussing the environmental impact of the bottled water industry. The New York Times recently published two stories related to the issue: an interview on Nestle Waters and an article of Fiji Water.
As Congress investigates whether or not Yahoo has inappropriately turned over user information to the Chinese government, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang articulated a convincing argument to deny Yahoo's culpability in the case.
One year from now I will be sipping on morning coffee while reading about who won the 2008 presidential election. History has shown that the Stock Market does very well during election years, but many variables come into play in this election and an in depth study may help clear the fog.
While the field of socially responsible investing is growing, there is still a much more limited selection of assets that classify themselves in the category: mutual funds, community development financial institutions, individual stocks, and ETFs are possibilities. Here is another: a World Bank bond.
It's children's health deja vu all over again, with Congress looking like it'll pass a bill expanding health coverage to up to 4m low income kids (or 2m according to conservative estimates). This version looks a lot like the bill Congress couldn't get past a Bush veto last month; but with minor changes Dems hope…
Do you remember progress? Probably, if you do you, then you are an older sort like me, or an oddball collector of paleo-futurism. Michael Chabon has a wistful eulogy for the future at Long Now. The odd thing about contemporary market triumphalism is that it celebrates an incapacity to redesign the world. This so-called "realism",…
Suggestions of "Best NFL team ever" have been buzz words in recent weeks and the past few years while describing the New England Patriots' NFL franchise. Currently undefeated at 7-0 with a track record of three Superbowl wins suggest that team owner Robert Kraft knows how to be a leader.
For those of you who are trying to find a SRI mutual fund to invest in, Amy L. Fontinelle on her blog Two Pennies Earned, has done some of the heavy-lifting for you. She narrows down a long list provided by Social Investment Forum and Morningstar and reviewed 16 funds in depth. This is how…
Following years of reality television, Paris Hilton, and Limp Bizkit, the lack of family values permeating American culture has left an impact on the price of oil. As a story broke regarding the latest news on the most recent O.J. Simpson arrest, it was announced that crude oil is now the most expensive and popular…